Auroville, India

We came to Auroville from Madurai early in July for a month. We came back for four months in the beginning of August. We stayed at a guest house, Gaia’s Garden, where we have stayed before. These pictures give you a flavor of Auroville.
Auroville's web page says, “Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.” Auroville is still a long way from that but it has a start. Check out its web site for many details.

At some point I intend to write an extensive essay on Auroville. I got a start with a small story Auroville on my India stories page.

The heart of Auroville is the Matrimandir, a meditation hall sitting on the geographical center of Auroville. (11 Nov 2014)Back to top

This 1960's concept drawing shows the Matrimandir at the center of Auroville. See the next photo.Back to top

Here is what Google Earth shows the center of Auroville looks like in the middle of 2014. You can clearly see that the Matrimandir and several of the streets, though not all the buildings, are there almost 50 years later. (Aug 2014)Back to top

A view of the Matrimandir and its main entrance. See the next picture for details. (11 Nov 2014)Back to top

The Matrimandir main entrance. The disks have small gold-foil plated mirrors to reflect the sun. The web site has details on the Matrimandir, a fascinating structure. (11 Nov 2014)Back to top

A traditional Tamil Nandu house in Auroville. There a lot of very modern houses in Auroville, as witness Gaia's Garden, but this is what they all looked like in the beginning. And some still look this way. (15 Nov 2014)Back to top

Here is one of those very modern places in Auroville. This amazing private pool is on a private property in Auroville. We swam there three times a week during the hot days of August, September, and early October when it was often in the mid-90s (35 C.) with humidity as high. The water was 82 F. (28 C.) degrees every time. (22 Aug 2014)Back to top

Petra waits for a pizza at Tanto's Restaurant in the open air in Auroville. We loved the Nepalese pizza cook and ate a lot of his pizzas to show that love. And then he moved to Mysore to take another job that offered him more money. (12 Oct 2014)Back to top

Kireet of Gaia's Garden Auroville also supervises the creation of water retention ponds. Here he has just given his driver instruction for the morning's work. He will now take the chair and sit under a tree to supervise. (15 Sept 2014)Back to top

Kireet is looking over one of his newly created dams. When the rains started a month later, this filled with water. It then can stand and percolate into the ground water to help raise the Auroville water table. (15 Sept 2014)Back to top

This is one of the main roads through Auroville. It looks a bit empty but look at the next picture to see it is not. (15 Nov 2014)Back to top

As you can see there is a lot going on, on this road. (15 Nov 2014)Back to top

This huge Banyan tree stands over the Frites Corner Restaurant. Petra sits at the table. (19 Nov 2014)Back to top

Here's one more big thing. This plant grows next to the Auroville Bakery. Do I look like a midget or the plant like a giant? (20 Nov 2014)Back to top